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A Tree Grows in China

A Tree Grows in China In the mid-1940s, the discovery of a living metasequoia glyptostroboides in China made international headlines. American naturalists sought to influence the Nationalist government’s policy to protect the species, although many retained doubts about the regime’s capability to do so. These naturalists also feared that local communities threatened the tree’s continued existence. This article examines how notions of responsibility informed American discussions about attitudes toward environmental protection, scientific knowledge production, and the duties of state and society concerning these matters in China. This way of thinking about China reflected not only an older discourse about China’s capacity to initiate Western-inspired change, but also the weak state of the government of the Republic of China and new approaches to nature protection after 1945. The Nationalist government’s retreat from the mainland coincided with an acceptance among American naturalists that the Chinese state and its society lacked responsible attitudes for American-styled environmental protection. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of American-East Asian Relations Brill

A Tree Grows in China

Bell, Andrew W.
Journal of American-East Asian Relations , Volume 23 (3): 25 – Oct 27, 2016
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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
Copyright © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
1058-3947
eISSN
1876-5610
DOI
10.1163/18765610-02303006
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

In the mid-1940s, the discovery of a living metasequoia glyptostroboides in China made international headlines. American naturalists sought to influence the Nationalist government’s policy to protect the species, although many retained doubts about the regime’s capability to do so. These naturalists also feared that local communities threatened the tree’s continued existence. This article examines how notions of responsibility informed American discussions about attitudes toward environmental protection, scientific knowledge production, and the duties of state and society concerning these matters in China. This way of thinking about China reflected not only an older discourse about China’s capacity to initiate Western-inspired change, but also the weak state of the government of the Republic of China and new approaches to nature protection after 1945. The Nationalist government’s retreat from the mainland coincided with an acceptance among American naturalists that the Chinese state and its society lacked responsible attitudes for American-styled environmental protection.

Journal

Journal of American-East Asian Relations – Brill

Published: Oct 27, 2016

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